Omaha daily bee., 1887-09-20
COMMENT ON THE CENTENNIAL
What the English Newspapers Say Of Our
Great Celebration.
PROFOUND AND FUNNY PARTS.
General Boulanger Joins the Process
sion ana Issues q Manifesto
The Sultan or Turkey in
Very Bad Way.
Viewed at n Distance.

ICopmiglt 1887 bp James Gordon Bennet'.l
LONDON, Sept. 19.-lNew York Herald
Cable-Special to the BEE. l-To.day's
English press-provincial as well as metro
politan-is mainly devoted to news accounts
of the centennial celebration at Philadelphia
and the comments of these vary from the
facetious to the profound. For instance, the
Globe. praising the president for being
genuinely eloquent" says: "a hug and
kiss from an enthusiastic woman, who to
Mrs. Cleveland's satisfaction, kissed him
only on the chin, seemed to have inspired
him."
The Times, however, treats the occasion
with most thoughtful and dignliied attention.
After surrendering three columns to a sketch
of Philadelphia in the series contributed by
John Hollngshead, and half column of the
best extracts from the presidents address, 1t
edltorially comments at much length. These
begin with the text: mo more cogent proof
could have been produced of the strength of the
bonds constructed hundred years ago thant
should have survived the tension of war
SUCCESSFULLY" The Times then remarks that
1.-The wonder of the American civil war is
that IL marks development not aorevolu-
ton," and the 'present festival awakened rs
fervent sympathy among sOutherners rs
among northerners. A president elevated
to power by the votes of a hundred thousand
ancient rebels has been representing the
loyalty of the entire American people to
system which multitude of his supporters
did their best to subvert.' The Times next
gives statistics of the civil war in
number of battles and tho
losses on both sides, claiming All
these, however, that mo expenditure of life
could have been culpably profuse which was
ne1dtul for the result accomplished, although
the aggregate misery inflicted by the war on
the combatants swells to most pOrtentOus
dimensions" The Times concludes thus:
"The deneanor of the American nation as a
whole, justties the sacrifices which the whole
offered. The sentiment throughout
the republic regarding the occasion
of last weeks anniversary is
the apology for the tremendous butchers bill
on both sides. No war in the annals of
history was waged with more iron Obstinacy
or war 80 relentessly murderOus in Its
operations. Neither has any ever left behind
it on the whole less rancour and vndictive-
ness, so that the American constitution may
claim the merit as it is willing to bear the
| burden. Even in the former confederate
| states few persist in lamenting that their eff
| forts after dlsunion were forcibly frustrated"
| attention blows across the Atlantic regard
ing the United States-news from which only
a few years ago was classed by the news
papers with items about BuenOs Ayres, Peru
or the Argentine Republic-that on Saturday
night the Crystal Palace bills and pro-
| grammes contained, like the morning adver-
tisements, these words: :"Crystal Palace great
| American fete; simultaneous celebration in
London and Philadelphia of the one hum
dredth anniversary Of the adoption of the
| American constitutions; vocal and nstru-
mental concerts, songs and ballads by Amer
lean composers and poets; sung by the fol-
lowing American vocalists: Mrs. Belle Cole,
Comtesse Anna de Fremont, Mr. Lewis II.
Stark and Mr.. Don NJ. Balfe; the perform.
ances by the orchestra will include Colum-
bus, true picture by Albert
| and Wagner'S festival march; Phila-
delphia, also in fireworks, will give
portraits of General Washington. President
Cleveland, and the Star Spangled Banner"
These proved to be pyrotechncs on NAM
moth scale, and if the Americans present
were not able to tell which portrait in red,
blue and green fire represented Washington
or Cleveland, the tens of thousands of
Englishmen present were sent home avidous
of learning more about American politics
| and American institutions.